Alta Capital Management LLC Grows Stake in The Kroger Co. $KR

Alta Capital Management LLC boosted its position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) by 201.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 49,020 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 32,770 shares during the period. Alta Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Kroger were worth $3,063,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. WPG Advisers LLC increased its stake in Kroger by 16.8% in the 3rd quarter. WPG Advisers LLC now owns 1,160 shares of the company’s stock valued at $78,000 after purchasing an additional 167 shares in the last quarter. Stephens Inc. AR increased its stake in Kroger by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Stephens Inc. AR now owns 17,995 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,124,000 after purchasing an additional 174 shares in the last quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC increased its stake in Kroger by 3.0% in the 2nd quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 6,568 shares of the company’s stock valued at $471,000 after purchasing an additional 192 shares in the last quarter. Parsons Capital Management Inc. RI increased its stake in Kroger by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Parsons Capital Management Inc. RI now owns 15,756 shares of the company’s stock valued at $984,000 after purchasing an additional 195 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. increased its stake in Kroger by 17.4% in the 3rd quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 1,328 shares of the company’s stock valued at $90,000 after purchasing an additional 197 shares in the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Kroger Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:KR opened at $68.24 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $41.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 44.60, a P/E/G ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a quick ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66. The Kroger Co. has a 52 week low of $58.60 and a 52 week high of $76.58. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $69.93 and a 200-day simple moving average of $66.64.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $34.73 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $35.10 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 41.08% and a net margin of 0.69%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.14 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 5.24 EPS for the current year.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.35 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. Kroger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 91.50%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Telsey Advisory Group raised their price target on Kroger from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Erste Group Bank downgraded Kroger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Citigroup raised their price target on Kroger from $68.00 to $71.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Wolfe Research reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $75.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $82.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $74.56.

Key Headlines Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kroger is promoting Memorial Day grilling deals and a 4X Fuel Points event, which could drive traffic, boost basket sizes, and support near-term sales at its stores. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: The Kroger Queen City Championship continued to keep the Kroger name in the spotlight after Lottie Woad won the LPGA event, giving the company additional brand visibility. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Media coverage and local features about Kroger stores, cookout ideas, and a celebrity appearance are mostly promotional and unlikely to materially move the stock on their own. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Some commentary is highlighting Kroger’s lower valuation versus peers, which may support investor sentiment but does not change fundamentals by itself. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Another senior executive departure adds to leadership turnover concerns and could make investors question management stability. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger’s $100 million refrigeration settlement tied to alleged EPA violations raises costs, increases regulatory scrutiny, and may weigh on long-term cash flow. Article Title

Kroger Profile

The Kroger Co (NYSE: KR) is one of the largest supermarket operators in the United States, offering a wide range of retail grocery and related services. Founded in Cincinnati in 1883 by Bernard Kroger, the company operates a portfolio of supermarket and multi-department store banners and provides customers with fresh foods, packaged groceries, deli and bakery items, meat and seafood, produce, and prepared foods. Kroger’s stores commonly include pharmacy services and fuel centers, positioning the company as a broad-based neighborhood retail destination for everyday needs.

In addition to traditional in-store retailing, Kroger manufactures and distributes a variety of private-label brands and operates its own food production and supply-chain facilities.